Bass Goes Pro at Greenberg Traurig Shop | Downtown Moves

Former Rep. Charles Bass, the moderate New Hampshire Republican who’s done a couple of stints in Congress, has joined Greenberg Traurig as a senior director in its Washington, D.C., government law and policy practice.

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Bass was first elected in the 1994 Republican wave, beating then-Rep. Dick Swett, a Democrat. He lost in 2006 to Democratic challenger Paul Hodes, then was re-elected in 2010 to an open seat after Hodes ran for Senate. Bass defeated Democrat Ann McLane Kuster in that contest, but lost to her in a 2012 rematch. Bass comes from a political family. His grandfather was governor and his father was a House member. Bass’s political résumé also includes a decade as a New Hampshire state legislator.

Greenberg Traurig received unwelcome publicity when superlobbyist Jack Abramoff worked there, distancing itself from Abramoff as federal authorities closed in on him. But it’s a prominent D.C. firm that is respected, and the well-regarded Bass will likely fit in there.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t fall into any of the malaise that befell the titular character of Noah Baumbach’s film “Greenberg.”